Britain is to wheel out its big guns to back Bermuda's bid to get the US military to clean up the old base lands, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

And a top-level delegation from the UK Foreign Office and the British Embassy in Washington are set to meet with local politicians and officials next week to discuss fresh tactics in the fight for compensation from the US.

Since taking the reins of power last year, Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson and Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister have made three trips to Washington to push Bermuda's case at the highest levels of the US Government.

And yesterday Mr. Hodgson welcomed the UK drive to back up Bermuda in its long-running battle for an estimated $60 million-plus from the Americans, who quit their Naval Air Station and Annex in 1995 -- leaving tons of pollution behind.

Mr. Hodgson said: "Terry and I have been up to Washington, talked to Congressmen, the State Department and gone up to see the Navy.'' And he credited last month's trip to the British Labour Party conference in Bournemouth for helping to jog the UK into action on Bermuda's behalf.

He said the Government delegation raised the bases issue with Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, Foreign Office junior Minister Baroness Scotland, and Secretary of State for the Environment Michael Meacher.

Mr. Hodgson said: "We think that now the matter is where it should be -- with the British Government.

"They signed the lease for the base lands and they are responsible for foreign affairs and we're very pleased that the British now seem to be taking an active role and coming out to support us. We're delighted with that.'' Mr. Hodgson added there was "`no question'' that personal petitions over the bases with the UK Government played a major part in helping to set up the UK visit to the Island.

He said: "We took it to Britain and Britain responded -- I don't know any other way we could have handled it.

"I have no doubt that Britain's interest will assist Bermuda and I'm satisfied that the British will do the right thing.'' The British are to send Foreign Office deputy legal adviser Ian Hendry and FO head of the Caribbean and Bermuda section Hugh Philpott to the Island.

They will be joined by Alex Hall of the political section of the British Embassy in Washington for talks with Government.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney confirmed the three UK representatives will arrive in Bermuda next week for a three-day mini-summit on the bases row.

Britain joins baselands clean-up battle He said: "They will be discussing the base issues and going on a tour of the sites to gather first-hand knowledge.'' When the US Navy weighed anchor and left Bermuda, problems left behind at its St. David's air base included tons of oil, potentially deadly asbestos and poisonous heavy metals.

And at the old Annex in Southampton, around 500,000 gallons of fuel -- believed to have leaked over the years from underground tanks -- lies in caves beneath the site.

The Annex area -- now known as Morgan's Point -- is earmarked for a major tourist development.

The US position is it will only pay for clean-ups when there is "an imminent threat to health and safety'' -- which it insists is not the case in Bermuda.

Surveys commissioned by the US backed that position -- but an environmental probe knocking the US view was later delivered to Washington by the former UBP Government.

And on a visit to Bermuda in February, veteran Labour politician Lord Ashley, chairman of the Britain-Bermuda Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, vowed to use his influence to get Britain fully involved in negotiations.

MILITARY MIL